


the sensitive bookish types

by kinselllas



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 14:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13742451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinselllas/pseuds/kinselllas
Summary: “Thanks, Juggie darling,” she drawls, sliding into the seat next to him. “How do I look?”Jughead clears his throat, puts on his best George Peppard, “Very good. I must say, I’m amazed.”





	the sensitive bookish types

**Author's Note:**

> Jughead and Veronica need new friends.
> 
> Archie and Betty get together in 1x01, and in turn become one of THOSE couples. A Jughead x Veronica story with some background Archie and Betty being all around adorable. Got to channel my old friends Dan x Blair for this one!

“They’re getting a little sickening,” Veronica says, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Don’t you think?”

Betty is pressed into Archie’s side, giggling softly as his mouth trails over her jaw, up to her ear. His nose nuzzles against her cheek and Betty meets his mouth with her own, a smile against his lips. Jughead pulls his gaze away long enough to roll his eyes.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.”

Betty is the first to notice their quiet, but evident, irritation. She places a gentle hand on Archie’s chest and gives him a nudge away. Archie hardly notices, hand skating over her knee and up her thigh.

“Arch,” she whispers. His teeth are grazing the shell of her ear, “Archie.”

Jughead hates how soft they are with each other, and if Veronica’s scowl is anything to go by, she’s not a fan either. She clears her throat loudly, and Archie finally snaps back into focus. His hand is still resting on Betty’s leg. Jughead is so happy for his best friends. Really, he is. He tells himself as much an unconvincing number of times. Although, now they exist as their own entity- ArchieandBetty BettyandArchie- he can’t find the individuals he grew up with anymore. And honestly, their gushy, gooey, romance is starting to rain on his junior year.

“Sorry guys,” Archie grins, stopping to press a quick kiss to Betty’s temple, “What’s the plan for the weekend?”

Now, they all know the Blossoms are having their annual Halloween party at Thornhill on Saturday, but Kevin, Veronica, and Jughead all manage to fall silent at the prospect of seeing Betty and Archie in Ketchup and Mustard costumes with their faces plastered together for an entire evening. They’d been together for almost two months now, the public displays of affection should have ceased weeks ago. Yet, the blonde and redhead seemed giddier than ever in each other’s presence.

Jughead finds himself more and more thankful Veronica had strolled into Pop’s that cool September night, or he probably would’ve spent the year as his best friends’ third wheel. Even her dark eyes and alluring smile weren’t enough to pull Archie’s attention away from the blonde in front of him. Jughead always had trouble understanding that, especially as he began to revel in his and Veronica’s silent bond.

“We could go to Cheryl’s,” Kevin finally offers, and Veronica and Jughead narrow their eyes at him. He responds with an innocent shrug.

 

 

Jughead pulls up in front of the Pembroke and can’t help the tiny smile that spreads across his lips as Veronica walks toward the car. Her hair is pulled up into a sleek bun on top of her head, white pearls contrasting a black sleeveless dress, and the iconic long black gloves stopping at her elbows. He leans over the counsel and pulls the the door handle, shoving it open for her.

“Thanks, Juggie darling,” she drawls, sliding into the seat next to him. “How do I look?”

Jughead clears his throat, puts on his best George Peppard, “Very good. I must say, I’m amazed.”

Veronica arches a perfectly sculpted brow at him and grins, shiny and white against her red lips. 

In the backseat, Betty’s Supergirl skirt is pooled around her waist, Archie’s hands sliding up her thighs and getting lost under the red fabric. The sounds of shuffling and Betty’s breathy moans fill up the car and Veronica slams her door shut, throwing Jughead a glare.

“Remind me to kill Kevin later,” she says, voice low.

Jughead nods, “Noted.”

 

 

The party is everything Jughead expects it to be, and it’s not long before he takes refuge is Mr. Blossom’s study, feet up on the chaise and Franz Kafka’s _The Metamorphosis_ in hand. His rum and coke sits on the small table next to him, and he can still hear the music echoing from outside the room. He barely gets through a sentence when he hears heels clicking on the tile.

Last party, Cheryl had dragged him out of this room by the shirt. She could scold as well as her mother sometimes. Jughead still hadn’t learned his lesson. Maybe, just maybe, he liked the way her nose scrunched up in disdain while her finger prodded him in the chest.

“That’s it,” Veronica’s voice comes ringing through the doorway. “We need new friends.”

Jughead rests the book on his chest and watches as she unclips the bun from her hair, dark waves falling over her shoulders. She tosses her gloves on the table next to him and takes a seat on the edge of his lounge. He doesn’t move away, even with her back pressed against his legs.

“Have to agree with you there,” he nods, taking a sip from his drink. “I’m partial to the Pussycats.”

“Yeah,” Veronica gazes at the bookshelves thoughtfully, “Too bad your singing voice sucks.”

Jughead bites back a smile and sits up to smack her shoulder with his book. Veronica grabs her arm dramatically, giving him a fake gasp. He feels a little warm from the alcohol and her quiet laugh, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to the spot he’d just hit.

“Better?” He tilts his head. Veronica gives him an amused gaze before shoving him back down on the chaise. There’s an intimacy to the quiet that surrounds them for a moment, Veronica’s eyes flickering over his face. She moves her gaze down to her cup and throws back the remainder of her drink.

“Cheryl and Jason?” she suggests, a shrug.

“We’d have to dye our hair.”

Veronica snorts a laugh and snatches his drink, her tongue swirling around the straw. Jughead catches himself fixating on her mouth and blinks a few times to snap out of it. She seems to notice, smirking with an air of curiosity, intrigue. If it were anyone else, Jughead would lean forward, taste her lips for himself. But it’s Veronica, so he swallows and tries to think about something else.

“Ronnie!” Reggie stumbles into the study, a wide grin. “Let’s go, we’re up for beer pong!”

Jughead watches as Veronica rolls her eyes, but pushes herself up from the chaise nonetheless. She leaves her shoes discarded on the tile and pads over to Reggie. He smacks her on the ass and she giggles, giving Jughead a quick glance over her shoulder.

“You coming, Fred?” She says, softly.

The affection in her voice is not lost on Jughead.

 

 

Reggie likes Veronica.

It’s evident to everyone in the surrounding radius- except for- well, Veronica. Unless she knows and is just choosing to ignore it. Jughead notes the way he offers her an extra cookie at lunch or moves to feed her a french fry and Veronica reacts with indifference, boredom. She takes a bite of the snickerdoodle and moves her focus to Jughead.

“What’s your deal, Caulfield?” She asks, smiling. “You’re brooding more than usual.”

Reggie’s arm drapes over her shoulders and he throws Jughead an amused gaze, surely missing the reference entirely. Jughead could fire back with a comment about phonies, he’s looking at one right now, maybe two. But he knows Veronica better than that. Betty teases Archie with a fingertip of frosting and Jughead gives Veronica a pointed look. At this point, he’s getting it from all angles.

“Reggie,” Veronica says, shrugging his arm off, “go get me some orange juice.”

Reggie presses a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth before trotting off to the cafeteria. Veronica rolls her eyes, and that seems to be her reaction more often than not. Her gaze flickers over his face again, just like the Halloween party, and Jughead smirks back at her.

“Your new beau seems absolutely charming, darling,” he trills, and Veronica narrows her eyes.

She dips her fingertips into her water and flicks it at his face. Jughead can’t help sputtering at the moisture and really, he didn’t see that coming. He bites back a smile and Archie wipes a few drops of water off of Betty’s cheek, followed by, “What the hell, Ronnie?”

She shrugs, carelessly.

“Veronica’s a four year old,” Jughead interjects, “Clearly.”

“And how old are you again?” she fires back, before Reggie returns to his seat, orange juice in tow.

Jughead feels his posture stiffen, for reasons unknown. He wonders, genuinely wonders, what Reggie and Veronica talk about when no one else is around, if they talk about anything at all. It would be particularly amusing if he had someone to be amused with, but that would normally be Veronica and, well-

 

 

“All I’m saying is if Ronnie is happy,” Betty continues, Archie’s mouth at her throat. They’re blocking Jughead’s locker, “Maybe we should let her be.”

Archie scoots her over a few inches and grants Jughead access to his lock, turning the dial in silence.

“She’s not happy,” Archie mumbles against her skin, hand skating up her skirt. “She’s bored.”

“I second that,” Jughead says, yanking his locker open and shuffling through his books. He considers blowing off sixth period altogether and going home early, but knows Betty would never approve. She could only skip class for her own self-serving reasons, no one else could get away with it.

“If I didn’t know any better,” Betty’s hand blocks Archie’s face from kissing her, and she’s suddenly very serious, “I’d think you were jealous.”

Jughead snorts at that, realizes that he’s just shuffling things around aimlessly, and slams the locker closed.

“Upper East Side princess?” he gives an unconvincing shrug, “Not really my type.”

“Nor is broody loner mine,” Veronica’s voice makes him jump in his spot, “But thanks, Jug.”

She struts past them down the hallway and Jughead has to duck his head to hide his small smile. When he looks up, Archie and Betty are both staring at him with amused stares. Betty rests her arm on Archie’s shoulder and nods, biting back her own grin.

“Sorry,” her fingers come up to cover her lips. “What were you saying, Jug?”


End file.
